Jamison, NHL ‘making progress’ on Coyotes sale

Arizona Sports 620’s Paul Calvisi has learned that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Greg Jamison met Monday afternoon and are making “progress toward closing” a deal that would allow the league to sell the Phoenix Coyotes franchise to Jamison.

Jamison, the former San Jose Sharks CEO and minority owner, has been rumored to take over control of the franchise for several months. A tentative agreement of the sale was announced back in May, with little development since.

The Coyotes have been without an owner since 2009, when then-owner Jerry Moyes entered the franchise into Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced he would sell the club to Research in Motion executive Jim Balsillie, who planned on moving the team to Ontario, Canada.

Following protests from the league, Moyes sold the Coyotes to the NHL for $140 million. The league has had control of the franchise for the past three seasons.

Despite not having an owner, the Coyotes have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last three seasons and advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history last year before being ousted by eventual league champion Los Angeles.

The NHL is currently embroiled in a player lockout that went into effect on September 15.